My dog Rumor was an experiment. A trial offer. And all parties knew that going in. Except for maybe Rumor. Rumor was an outdoor country dog. His given name was Ruger (named after a firearm if you don't know, I didn't) which made sense for a dog raised in hunting country. He was a stray that came to live with a loving family at about the age of 1. He lived outdoors, slept in a garage crate at night, frolicked with an older dog pack and had a lovely life. We think he was about 4 years old. He had been neutered, had vet care and was by no means a "rescue". His dad offered Ruger to me on a give-it-a-try basis. He knew I wanted a dog. He told me Ruger would be sweet to me and also be my protector. He was right on both counts. He told me if it didn't work out, I could bring Ruger back to him and his wife. I could tell they were a little sad when they dropped him off. It made me glad to see that Ruger came from such ...
In the HBO limited series multiverse, there are two series that link up perfectly in locale, subject matter and vibe: Mare of Easttown and Task. Now, it's not hard for me to go ahead and say Mare is my favorite and, I think, the better of the two shows. The intricacy of this story and the acting are so good that I've watched it repeatedly.....even after the mystery was solved. It kept me guessing right up until the very end and shocked me more than once. I don't think I've ever seen anything with the lovely Kate Winslet that I didn't like (well......let's not talk about The Regime ) and I'm thrilled that she has become an icon for women of my generation. Task is a bit of a different animal, even though it is a very similar show. Both shows rub up against Catholicism, the complicated struggles of family, giving and accepting trust in an untrusting world, and of course, the frailties of man against strong women. Weirdly, I don't find m...